Game



June 17, 1941. Q SHEFFIELD 2,245,830

GAME

Filed May 3, 1938- Patented June 17, 1941 UNi'fEDSTATES PAT-KENT or-HcE 1 Q Q-IoAMIt v Lexin ton 'QQ Sheflield. Raiford, Fla. sap lication mays, 193s; se ia-M ssages;

' a sa (cr me- 94) The present invention relates simulated games especially to a game that simulates football and is played upon a game board.

- Heretofore, simulated football games have been proposed wherein men or game-pieces'have been movable over a marked-off ga'meboardin accordance with the readings of chance-con trolled indicating devices, but such games have generally been slow and uninteresting, duechief- .ly to the fact that they have not been'fso 'arranged as to permit movement'of themenin a skill in maneuvering the men onthe part of the persons playing the game.

This-object is accomplished by providing a game board that is marked off into squares'to designate movement units, twoteams ofmen that are divided into several different classes, and a plurality ofchance-controlled indicating devices equal in number to the classes into which the-respective teams'are divided, and said classes and indicating devices being distinguishable in appearance, whereby one indicating device "may be definitely assigned to each classof men forming the teams. Q

In the accompanying drawing: a

Figure 1 is a plan view of the game board showing the starting positions of the various men, and indicating several of themen in starting position on the board.

Figure 2 is an elevation of the same.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the dice that may be used in connection with the game.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are elevations of forms that may be given to the three classes of men that are used in the game.

Figures 4a, 5a and 6a are bottom plan views of the men.

Figure '7 is a perspective view of a simplified form of man that may be used.

Describing the drawing more particularly, the playing board is designated 9 and may be constructed in any suitable manner.

The upper surface of the board 9 carries a representation of a football field, divided by lines In intosquares I I that constitute the units of movement for the game pieces or men 12. Certainof the squares, as .at I3, are marked to indicatethe proper positions for the men at'the beginning'of a game. 7

The teams are advantageously composed of eleven men each, as in true football, "andeach team of men is. divided into three classes. The classes may be as follows: 1. a class of five linesmen; 2. Aclass of five secondary? men;

3.'A single third man that maybe called therunner. In starting the game, these three classes of men occupy respectively the squares on the board that are marked I, 2 and 3.

In order to readily differentiate the classes,=the men may be in the form of miniature figures, the figures of the men of each class being different from those of the other classes. In Figures 4, '5

and 6 are represented respectively a "linesman,

a secondary man and a runner. The classes of'men may be further distinguished by numerals upon their under surfaces as illustrated in Figures 4a,-5a and 6 To provide a less expensive game, the men may take the form of disks, having appropriate designations applied to their upper surfaces, as'illustrated in Figure '7, in which the numbers indicate not only the classes of men, but also correspond-*'to the markings l3 of the squares that the respective'cl'asses of men are to occupy at thebeginning'of a game. I

In either form, the men of the two different teams may be rendered distinguishable by coloring those of one team one color and those of the other team a different color.

The movement of the men upon theboard is controlled by three simultaneously operable chance-controlled devices, such as dice. As shown in Figure 3, these dice may be of differentcolors so as to be readily distinguishable, wherevby one may be assigned to each of the classes portunity to shift his entire team in accordance with some preconceived plan, and also under the control of the operation of the dice. The control of the difierent classes of men by different dice assures the movement of the different classes of men, and this contributes to the desired effect of a. more accurate simulation of the real game of football. The fact that there are a number of men in two of the classes and only a single man of the third class also contributes to the accurate simulation of football wherein the ball is carried by a single man while the rest of the team functions to assist that man in the advance of the ball. This feature also permits the exercise of a great degree of skill by the persons playing the game, not only in maneuvering the teams to advance the runner on their respective sides, but to hinder the advance of the opponents runner.

The game may be played in accordance with various rules. For example, a very good game may be had if played as follows:

The three dice are cast simultaneously by'the players in alteration. The linesmen may be moved forwards or sideways, the backfield.. or secondary men may be moved in any direction except diagonally; and the runners also may be moved in, any direction except diagonally. One, of the dice is definitely assigned to each class of men. Moves may be split among the men of the difierent classes with the exception of the single runner on each team which must be moved the total number of squares indicated by the die assigned to the runners. The total number of moves indicated by the respective dice must be taken by the men to which the dice are assigned. In moving the men, the linesmen must be moved first, then the secondary men mustbe moved, and upon completion of the total number of moves of the secondary men, the runners are moved. No man may jump or take another man, and when a man is blocked by other men from taking a move in the direction in which it is entitled to move, it must be left in the same square until the way is cleared by the moving of one of the blocking men. If a runner is completely surrounded by men of the opposing team, the play is ended and the opponent is winner of ten points. If a runner crosses the line at the opponents end of the field, the play is ended and the opponent is awarded a suitable number of points.

In this connection, it is to be noted that the squares at the ends of the boardarenumbered in accordance with the difficulty of having a runner cross the end line at a particular.

square, so that the player may receive an award that is higher for placing a man across the-line than that for crossing the line at a point of less difiiculty. When the runner crosses the line at a particular square, the player receives an award of the number of points that appears in that square. r g I In playing the game, the play is repeated until one of the players has attained a predetermined number of points, play being rebegun after each scoring, as by a runner crossing the line, or being surrounded and blocked against further moves.

Of course, many variations to make the game more interesting and difficult may be resorted to. For example, when a "runner comes within a certain distance of the goal line, it may be required that the player throw the exact number of squares that remain between the man and the line before the man may, cross the line. Or it may be required that the runner cross the line by using the exact number of moves that the die indicates, which will sometimes force the player to follow an indirect course and increase the possibility of interference with the runner by the opposers men, whose object is to prevent the crossing of the goal line by the other player's runner. Many other variations may be resorted to, and the game board may be marked in various ways to assist in playing the game in accordance with such variations.

It will also be apparent that the pieces that are used asmen may be varied greatly as to construction and the elaboration of their decoration. For example, the men may be die-cast of suitable metal and painted or otherwise coated to render them distinguishable as to class and color.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction, operation and many advantages of the invention willbe apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be appreciated that changes in the size, shape, proportions and minor details may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

What I claim is: 1. A game comprising a board marked oif into squares, a plurality of men divided into two teams, the men of one team, having a different characteristic of appearance from the men of the other team, each team comprising a plurality of different classes of men, the men of each class having difierent characteristics of appearance from the men of the other classes, and a plurality of chance-controlled indicating devices equal in number to the classes of men forming one of the teams, said chance-devices respectively having characteristics of appearance different from characteristics of appearance of the other chance-controlled devices. I l

2. .A game in accordance withclaim l, wherein the chance-controlled devices comprise dice of diifereht colors.

3. A game in accordance with claim 1, wherein the classes of men into which the respective teams are divided comprise a plurality of classes each having a plurality of men, and a single class having a single man.

. LEXINGTON O. SHEFFIELD. 

